Definitive Guide to Air Arms TX200

Airgun great, Tom Gaylord called it "The Spring-piston rifle to which all are compared." Since the mid 80's the Air Arms TX200 has been the go-to rifle of field target shooters and hunters the world over. More may have been written about this rifle than any other airgun, but can enough really be said about a rifle that is loved by so many? Take a look at why the TX200 really is one of the greatest air rifles ever made.

Owning a legend is one of the big draws of buying a TX200. This gun has been around a long time and has seen a few different iterations (3 to be exact, that's why it's now called the TX200 MKIII) however the heart of the TX200 remains the same. The traditional spring-piston design has been around forever but the TX200 does it just a little better than the competition. The smooth underlever design takes just 27 lbs to fully compress the spring and with the addition of an anti-bear trap device on the MKII iteration of the TX200 there is zero worry about losing fingers. The underlever design also means a fixed barrel which contributes to greater accuracy and consistency.

Speaking of the barrel, the TX200 uses an all steel button rifled barrel that will eat just about anything you feed it. Seriously, this gun is accurate with so many different pellets that you should have no trouble finding accurate ammo for your TX200.

The Air Arms TX200 is built to look excellent just as much as to shoot with excellence. The blued metal finish is one of the best that we have seen. Air Arms has also done an excellent job of customizing stock and rifle options to fit the shooter. Rather than an ambidextrous grip, the TX200 offers both left and right handed versions of their stock in walnut. A slightly cheaper Beech option is available for right handed shooters. The difference? Beech is both heavier and harder than walnut, but for many the look of well-crafted walnut is hard to resist.

There is also a carbine hunter version of the TX200 that is designed for those looking for a shorter action to improve the handling of the gun primarily for hunting. All the benefits of the TX200 remain, but with a shortened barrel (9.5' compared to the 13.2' of the regular TX200). Cocking the carbine version also takes more effort due to less leverage (about 5 more pounds of effort required)

The stock was designed with field use in mind. Whether hunting or shooting in a Field Target match, shooters will appreciate the tall Monte Carlo cheek piece to help gain a great sight picture with your scope. There is a flat spot on the forearm just ahead of the trigger that is perfect for off hand shooting.

While preference plays a part, we feel that the TX200 is extremely well balanced with a shift towards heaviness towards the muzzle which many feels help stabilize the gun when shooting. The stock and pistol grip all feature fish scale inlays that are incredibly detailed. As mentioned the gun has been created to be as much as work of art as well as a highly accurate rifle.

If this is your first underlever, you'll notice that underlevers in general, and particularly the TX200 are quite a bit heavier, and not necessarily made to be toted around the field without a sling to aid. This heaviness really does add to the stability of the rifle when shooting and is part of the reason the accuracy is so exceptional. Thousands of field target shooters can't be wrong, the weight is worth it.

A Truly World Famous Trigger

The TX200 takes advantage of the famous Rekord trigger design. The Rekord trigger was first developed by Weihrauch and appeared in the HK97 and is one of the best 2 stage airgun triggers ever developed. Air Arms has taken some liberties with the Rekord design to make it even better. The TX200's version of the Rekord is made from riveted steel sections rather than bent sheet metal. Air Arms has also added bearings to the points where the trigger components pivot on the pins. This helps smooth out the trigger as well as slightly speed up lock time.

Air Arms has also added the ability to adjust first stage pre-travel on the TX200, on the original Rekord's first stage pre-travel could only be adjusted by bending a metal tab that acted as a forward trigger stop. The first stage pull is very light and pulls very smoothly. There is a definite wall where the second stage starts just before the break allowing you to perfectly stage your shot. The second stage break is very crisp and breaks like glass at just under 2 lbs out of the box. Our test gun broke at just 1.63 lbs!

Shot Performance, Calibers & Loudness

The TX200 will shoot lights out. Period. A big part of the reason this gun is loved so much is that it has become a staple in the field target community. In field target matches, accuracy is everything. So you know that for the gun to be as popular as it, is it's got to be a ringer. Our .22 caliber test gun was mounted with a Hawke Sidewinder 6-24x56 AO scope and shot groups under 1 inch at 50 yards with both JSB 18.31 grain pellets and 14.66 grain H&N Field Target Trophy pellets.

The TX200 is solid in the power department as well. We shot 10 shots over our chronograph with both the JSB 18.31 grain pellets and the 14.66 grain H&N's. The JSB pellets averaged 572 fps and 635 fps with the 14.66 grain Field Target Trophies, which resulted in 11.29 ft/lbs and 13.13 ft/lbs respectively. This makes the TX200 a great option for small game hunting and pesting, as well as target shooting.

With the addition of a barrel shroud to the TX200 MKIII the TX200's sound signature was reduced to just 71 dB. That puts the TX squarely in the backyard friendly category. Keep in mind that you will not fully appreciate the sound reduction downrange since the sound and vibration of the powerplant will be heard and felt more by the shooter. But your neighbors will certainly notice.

Though a little expensive to be a backyard plinker alone, if you're looking for the best of the best to shoot around the house, in the field, or at a Field Target match; the Air Arms TX200 can handle it all.

Care and Accessories

First off you've probably noticed that the TX200 doesn't have open sights. This is by design as the gun was really designed for field target shooters. The lack of open sights really leaves a nice platform for mounting even the largest field target quality scopes. So picking up a scope is a must.

A gun as beautiful and carefully crafted as the Air Arms TX200 demands a high grade of care and loving protection. A hard case is a must in our opinion as this is not a gun you lean against the desk waiting to be knocked down to dent the wood.

Cleaning for the TX200, like all spring guns, should be fairly minimal. Should you need to clean or lubricate your rifle we recommend either a silicone based airgun oil or a greaseless dry lubricant such as LPS1. LPS1 is also safe on wood and really brings out the shine of your TX200.

Cleaning pellets are an easy way to cut down on lead dust. After a long shooting session, run a few of them down the barrel just like you would regular pellets and you're good to go. Saves on cleaning time in the future and helps make sure your gun is ready for the next shooting session.

Make sure to post your own review of the TX200 once you've received it and shot some lead down range. We welcome your comments and questions.

Made in the United Kingdom
TX200 rifles are crafted in the Air Arms factory located in East Sussex, England. Great attention to detail goes into every rifle that Air Arms manufacturers and the TX200 is not exception. From the exquisite blued metal finish to its checkered Beech or Walnut stocks, the TX200 is the kind of gun that will last you a lifetime and that can be handed down to the next generation of airgunners.

Field Target Ready
The TX200 has dominated the springer class in field target for quite some time and it's really no surprise. Of course it's stunningly consistent accuracy is a big factor, but it is also because of the airguns ergonomics. Air Arms took into account that most field target guns are equipped with high magnification optics, because of this the TX200 features a very tall Monte Carlo cheekpiece that is perfect for large, high mounted scopes. They didn't stop there though, the wide, flat forend provides a very stable platform for shooting from a wide variety of positions.

Legendary Trigger
The TX200 comes equipped with what is essentially a tuned and slightly updated version of the legendary Rekord trigger. The Rekord trigger was first developed by Weihrauch and appeared in the HW 97K and has been a favorite of serious airgunners ever since. The two stage Rekord style trigger of the TX200 pulls at just under 2 lbs right out of the box. Perfect for precision shooting.

Accuracy & Power
The TX200 is accurate above all else. At 50 yards this gun will easily hold groups under an inch with the right pellets. Our .22 caliber TX200 loved 18.13 grain JSB Jumbo Heavy's and 14.66 grain H&N Field Target Trophies. With the JSB pellets the TX200 averaged 572 fps and 635 fps with the 14.66 grain Field Target Trophies